The Comeback Kid
by ThatGirlHasLove
Summary: Ryan decides to drag the gang to LA for a hockey game on his 18th birthday. The Kings face off against the Canucks, and Seth faces off against a not-so-expected guest! Okay... so maybe she's kind of expected...
1. Eggo's and Offsides

A Hockey game?  
  
Seth blinked unattractively as Ryan fed him the news. Ryan wanted to go to a hockey game? One of those things with the physical exertion and what not?  
  
This had to be a joke.  
  
"You want to go to a hockey game on your birthday?"   
  
Ryan gave an ever-typical roll of the eyes. "Yes, I want to go to a game."  
  
Seth shook his head. Sports were the anti-christ as far as he was concerned. And now Ryan wanted to drag him along to a hockey game?  
  
"With all the hitting, and swearing... and... whatever it is they do at hocke games!"  
  
"Seth, it's my birthday. I want to go."  
  
"Well yeah, of course dude. But a hockey game?"  
  
Ryan couldn't help but be slightly amused by this. He knew Seth hated sports. With a passion. But it was Ryan's 18th birthday. Seth wasn't going to be allowed to be so goddamn self-centered. "Look, if you don't want to go, I get it. I just thought, it's my birthday, and maybe we'd have a little 'Seth/Ryan' time? Just like you wanted?"  
  
Seth shot a dirty look at Ryan. "How dare you use our personal time to guilt me in to going to this heathen 'Hockey Game'."  
  
"Do you know anything about hockey?"  
  
"No."  
  
Ryan laughed. He couldn't help it. He wasn't surprised, but amused. "Just come. It'll be cool."  
  
With a great and heaving over-exagurated sigh, Seth caved. "Fine."  
  
It was a bright and sunny morning (again) in Newport, a Saturday, and Ryan and Seth had been debating the nights agenda in the pool house over juice and Eggo waffles. Boy boys were in their pajamas, Seth encased in flannel from head to toe, Ryan in a beater and boxers.   
  
"So where is this afore-mentioned game?" Seth asked, putting back another glass of OJ. County's Best...  
  
"LA" Ryan answered, snatching his waffle from the toaster Kirsten had installed in the pool house. "You think your parents will let us go?"  
  
"With some presuasion, I'd say yes" Seth answered, nodding slowly as he thought about it.  
  
"And I suppose I'm supposed to do the talking, right?"   
  
"Like we've talked about Ryan, I'm the brains. Besides, I don't even want to go."  
  
Ryan glanced at Seth sideways before drowning his waffle in syrup. Seth was getting clever. He knew exactly what to say to get out of what he didn't want to do.  
  
"Well, I suppose we'd better gussy ourselves up for our presentation. Parents like pretty boys." Seth walked towards the door, feet padding silently across the carpet. "So, uh, start thinking of what you want to say. Because there will be no 'tagging in' this go around."  
  
"That was your idea!"  
  
"Yes, and now I recall it" Seth said, scooting out the door.  
  
Ryan looked at his now soggy waffle. Suddenly, he wasn't so hungry. 


	2. Parental Intervention

Sandy and Kirsten were both in the kitchen, neither speaking. Both adults were hunched over newspapers and coffee, absorbed in their respective sections. Sandy the sports, Kirsten business.  
  
Sandy looked up briefly from his paper. "Do you ever stop working?" he asked, taking a gulp of coffee.  
  
Kirsten gave him a 'look' from across the island. "Are you suggesting that what I'm reading is uninteresting?"  
  
"I think I am."  
  
"Oh, and the sports section is so enamouring!" Kirsten scoffed. She had fun... didn't she?  
  
"You know, if you took any interest in it, you might find it entertaining.  
  
Look at this" Sandy said, shaking the newspaper at Kirsten. "Kings face off against Canucks. You don't find that interesting?"  
  
"Canucks... what's their mascot, a duck?" Kirsten chucked at her own joke, ignoring the bewildered look given to her by her husband.  
  
"I think you'd better stick to business..."  
  
"Oh shut up!" Kirsten said, smacking Sandy with her section of newspaper.  
  
"Hey Mom, Dad."  
  
Seth came into the kitchen, grabbing an orange from the basket on the table.  
  
Kirsten gave her son the once over, noting he was still wearing those flannel pajamas Gramma Cohen had given him years ago. "Are you still wearing those things?" she asked.  
  
"I like them, okay Mom?"  
  
"Fine, fine" Kirsten said, raising her arms in surrender. She wasn't going to get into a spat with a surly teenager on a Saturday morning.  
  
Sandy set down the paper. "So did you talk to Ryan?" Sandy knew it was Ryan's birthday. The first he had celebrated in the Cohen house. The family wanted to make it special, and were willing to pull out all the stops to make it a rememberable celebration for their adopted child.  
  
"Yeah" Seth replied, sounding heartily unenthusiastic.  
  
"So, what does he want to do?" Kirsten asked, leaning forward.  
  
"Mom, take it easy" Seth said, noting his mother's interest in how she was leaning across the island, intently hanging on his every word. "He wants to go to a hockey game."  
  
"A hockey game?" Kirsten and Sandy recited in unison. They look at each other, surprised. Ryan didn't strike them as being a hockey fan, but you could never tell.  
  
"The game tonight?" Sandy asked, glancing at his newspaper.  
  
"I guess so. Today's his birthday, isn't it?" Seth said sarcastically.  
  
"Hey" Sandy said warningly. "You don't sound to excited."  
  
"Dad, it's a hockey game."  
  
"See?" Kirsten said triumphantly.  
  
Sandy ignored her. "So he wants to go to the game tonight?"  
  
"Yeah Dad. Look, I'm not really too 'gung-ho' about this, so I'll let him talk to you." Seth looked at the orange in his hand, grimmacing. He returned it to the bowl and took off to his own room.  
  
Sandy and Kirsten were silent for a moment.   
  
"Should we let them go?"  
  
"I don't know Sandy... a hockey game? They can get kind of rough, can't they?"  
  
"And Ryan can't? I think we ought to give them a chance. They've scored responsibility points lately. I think they could handle it."  
  
Kirsten was not so convinced. Send her baby boy to a hockey game? "And are the girls going with them?"  
  
"I don't know. Didn't ask."  
  
With a heavy sigh, Kirsten dumped her cold coffee into the sink. "Well, I guess you'd better get tickets for the four of them, just in case."  
  
"So you're going to let them go?"  
  
"It's Ryan's birthday. I want him to be happy."  
  
"That's my girl. Always looking out for everyone else" Sandy grinned, kissing Kirsten.   
  
"So... where did you put that sports section?" 


	3. Surprise?

Seth bounded down the stairs, feeling refreshed and worry-less after his shower. He could deal with going to this hockey game, he really could. It would be fun. Right?  
  
He nearly collided with Summer as he leapt off the last stair.   
  
"Cohen!"  
  
"Summer! What.. what are you doing in my house?" Seth asked, balancing himself by grabbing hold of the wall.  
  
Summer roller her eyes. How dare he forget. "Um, remember, we were going to spend the whole day together?" she said, placing her hand on her hip. Seeing that Seth made no immediate connection, she reached for his 'love handles'. "And all night..." she added suggestively.  
  
Seth giggled. Summer pulled her hands back.  
  
"Did you just giggle?"  
  
"No."  
  
An akward scilence ensued.  
  
"Whatever. Are we like, going shopping or something?" The conversation returned to Summer's interests.  
  
"Yes... as much as I would love to shop with you Summer, it's Ryan's birthday. I forgot."  
  
"You forgot?"  
  
Seth waited for Summer to attack. Have a rage black-out. Whatever.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Summer pursed her lips, planning her course of action. "So what are we doing?" she asked finally, sounding genuinely cheerful. Thanks to Daddy for all those drama classes.  
  
"What? We?" Seth almost took a step backwards.  
  
"Yeah. I mean, we're all friends, right? I want to help Ryan celebrate his birthday, or whatever."  
  
"You sound so enthused."  
  
"Cohen! I want to spend time with you. And Ryan... can Marissa come?"  
  
Seth rolled his eyes. How was he supposed to explain to Ryan that he was bringing his ex-girlfriend to his birthday?  
  
Summer sauntered towards Seth, looking up at him from under heavily mascaraed eyelashes. She would get her way no matter what.  
  
Seth couldn't take it. Must... resist... use... the force!   
  
He caved.  
  
"Yay! We're going to have fun!"  
  
Seth sighed quietly.  
  
"So... where are we going again?"  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
"You did what?"  
  
Seth was sitting on the couch, legs tucked up under him, shoulder hunched as if he were expecting a blow. Did Ryan have rage-blackouts?  
  
"Invited Summer and Marissa to Ryan's 18th birthday bash?"  
  
Ryan was pacing. Never a good sign. Seth knew that Ryan and Marissa were a little (okay a lot) weird lately. But you had to get over it some time, right? Seth was just forcing them to spend time together, and in doing that, they would realize that the could be just friends.  
  
"Look, Ryan. If you really don't want them to come, we just tell them we don't have tickets." Seth had earlier informed Ryan that Sandy had bought tickets, however, he'd said nothing about there being four of them. "Which we don't."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah." Seth was lying through his teeth. He knew very well that Summer would castrate him if he bailed on her. Ryan had to cave.  
  
Sandy chose this in-opportune moment to walk into the room, waving a little white envelope around.  
  
"Happy Birthday!"  
  
Seth glanced nervously at his father, knowing there were more than two tickets in that envelope.  
  
Sandy handed the packet to Ryan, beaming as Ryan took them, shooting a dark look at Seth. "Kirsten and I wanted you to enjoy yourself on your birthday, so here you go. Open them!" Sandy was grinning like a kid on a sugar high.   
  
Ryan slowly slid the remnants of a chewed off fingernail under the envelope flap, taking as long as humanly possible to separate the gluey pieces. This birthday was turning into a nightmare.  
  
Seth was cringing. Nearly.  
  
Sandy was growing impatient. "Come on, open it!"  
  
Ryan grinned half-heartedly, and tore open the rest of the envelope. Tickets fluttered into his lap, bearing the crest of the L.A. Kings and the Vancouver Canucks. And there were four of them. Ryan shot a deadly glance at Seth.  
  
Seth looked across the living room weakly at him.   
  
"Surprise?" 


	4. Divided We Fall

(Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews I've been getting! I've also recieved some e-mails, and people want to know who will win. To be completely honest, I'm not sure who's going to achieve the 2 points, but perhaps you can tell me who you think should win in your reviews!)  
  
So they were off to the hockey game. Well, to pick Summer and Marissa up, then to the game. Seth was behind the wheel of his mother's gigantic SUV (it's purpose in a place like Newport is still unknown), glanced nervously at Ryan from time to time.  
  
Ryan finally caught Seth's gaze with one of those well-practiced 'looks'. "What?" he asked, sounding just slightly pissed off.  
  
"How mad are you exactly?" Seth asked, returning his gaze to the road.  
  
Ryan didn't say anything. It seemed it would be up to Seth to do the talking. Again.  
  
"Man, I'm sorry, but Summer made me take her."  
  
Pause.  
  
"Okay, so she used the puppy eyes and I caved. And then she said she'd invite Marissa, and I was all blown away, and-"  
  
"Seth, shut up. You're rambling."  
  
Seth took Ryan's speaking as a good sign. "Whatver, it'll be fine. Marissa doesn't even have to sit near you."  
  
Ryan resumed his scilence.  
  
They car pulled up at Summer's house, and she was eagerly waiting their approach. Summer had never been to a hockey game before. She dragged Marissa out to the car, both of them dressed 'casual-chic'. The pair climbed into the car, bringing their perfume and giggles with them. Seth looked in the rearview mirror and made an anxious but polite 'hello'.  
  
"Oh my God, I'm really excited!" Summer squealed. "I read all about hockey on the internet last night" she told Seth proudly.   
  
"That's great, Sum" Seth answered. He was still not too excited about going to a hockey game, and was also a little nervous that Ryan would cause him bodily harm if he thought Seth was happy about having the girls here. Which he wasn't.  
  
Okay, maybe he was, but why did it matter? Sure, things were a little akward between Ryan and Marissa, but they had to get overthemselves sometime. Friendly outings was the best route. Ryan would thank him someday.  
  
Summer proceeded to immediate pouting when her joyous nature was overrun by Seth. Crossing her arms over her chest she leaned back in the seat, occaisionally throwing mental daggers at the back of Seth's head.  
  
Marissa could feel the tension. Why had she agreed to come to this? Because Ryan was going to be there. No matter how akward it would be, Marissa loved spending time with him. Even if the feeling wasn't mutual. Which it didn't seem to be. SO she quietly leaned back into her seat, making no attempt at conversation because she would probably be carrying it on by herself. Or with Seth.  
  
And such the car ride to LA passed, Summer & Marissa pouting in the back seat, Ryan & Seth moping in the front. They battled for a parking space in the crowded stadium lot, and eventually found one around the back, near their own entrance gate.  
  
"Good thing my dad made us leave early, hey?" Seth tried, breaking the scilence. His efforts were rewarded by nods from Ryan & Marissa, and stinging scilence from his girlfriend. Fun fun.  
  
The posse slowly made their way into the building, dodging avid fans, mostly wearing Kings jerseys, but a few die-hards sported Canucks sweaters. None of the kids was too willing to go inside, because they knew that in their seats they'd be subjected again to uncomfortable scilence, only this time they'd be sitting beside each other. Seth handed the tickets to the Host at the door, and the four of them were ushered inside.   
  
Sandy Cohen had managed to get some nice tickets. Centre ice, 6 rows up... not bad at all!   
  
"I have to go to the bathroom" Summer announced suddenly, taking Marissa by the hand. Without bothering to say anything else to Seth, she dragged Marissa off in search of the facilities, where she would no doubt bitch about Seth 'being mean to her'.  
  
Seth watched her go, a look of surprise and shock on his face. What had he done now? Shaking his head, he and a silent and broody Ryan made their way to their seats. The girls could find them later.  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
"Oh My God, Coop! What the hell is wrong with Cohen!"  
  
"I don't know..." Marissa answered, leaning over the sink to examine her make-up in the mirror. She didn't really care about Summer's issues with Seth right now. She knew Ryan didn't want her here. Maybe she should just go home...  
  
"Coop! How about a little help here!"  
  
Marissa sighed. "I think he's just nervous. Because Ryan's mad. Because I'm here." Marissa was quickly sinking into her whiny, self-posessed state of mind.  
  
Summer frowned. "Well he doesn't have to be such an ass."  
  
The two females were now somewhat divided, and both dug frantically in their purses for some sign of lip gloss or concealer. 


End file.
